Head and shoulders image of Dr. John B. Mantle, head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1958-1966.

Bio/Historical Note: Born in 1919 in London, England, Dr. John Bertram Mantle came to Canada that same year. He attended Paynton Consolidated School in Paynton, Saskatchewan and City Park Collegiate in Saskatoon. He earned a BEng in Mechanical Engineering in 1941 from the University of Saskatchewan. After working for a year with the Canadian General Electric Co. in Peterborough and Toronto, Ontario, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Dr. Mantle trained in Lachine, Quebec, and at the Aeronautical Engineering School in Montreal. He served at the Flying Service Training School in Moncton, New Brunswick and at Air Force Headquarters in Ottawa. In the fall of 1945, Dr. Mantle took up a position as instructor in Engineering at the U of S. While teaching he earned an MSc in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1947. His major area of research was photoelasticity. In 1948 Dr. Mantle was promoted to assistant professor, and in 1956 to full professor, and assumed the position of head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1958. In 1967 he transferred to Regina Campus to serve as first dean of the new Faculty of Engineering, a post he held until 1979. Dr. Mantle was instrumental in developing Engineering programs and in introducing the innovative concept of co-operative education. Dr. Mantle was active in professional engineering organizations and was made a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada in 1970. In recognition of his achievements in engineering education, research and leadership the Association of Professional Engineers of Saskatchewan presented him with its first Distinguished Service Award in 1979. Dr. Mantle retired from the University of Regina in 1983 and was named Professor Emeritus of Engineering. Besides his academic and professional activities, Dr. Mantle was also active for several years in air force reserve work, beginning in 1948 when he assumed command of the U of S RCAF Cadets. John Mantle died 2 June 2018 in Cranbrook, British Columbia, at age 98.